Google's NotebookLM Head Now Leads Gemini App

Sissie Hsaio, the Google executive who spearheaded the launch of the company's AI chatbot, is stepping down from her role as head of the Gemini app, according to a report from Semafor. The outlet got a peek at a memo that says Josh Woodward, the vice president of Google Labs, will be stepping into her shoes.

In the memo, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis mentioned that this change is all about "sharpening our focus on the next evolution of the Gemini app," Semafor reports. Google's spokesperson, Alex Joseph, confirmed the news to Semafor but kept further comments to themselves.

Hsaio has been with Google for almost 20 years, starting back in 2006 as a product manager for Search and Docs. Google tapped her to lead the Gemini apps in 2021, and she played a big part in rolling out the company's response to ChatGPT, which they initially called Bard. According to Semafor, Hsaio's memo mentioned she's planning to take a "short break" before returning to Google in a fresh role.

Semafor also pointed out that Woodward will keep his position as head of Google Labs while he works on "shaping the next chapter of Gemini." Woodward was behind the creation of NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered note-taking app that comes with an Audio Overview tool. This tool turns your research into a podcast hosted by two AI "hosts." Google has now included NotebookLM in its One AI Premium subscription and even lets users create AI podcasts from Gemini’s Deep Research.